Christine Brown: Coaching Services

Executive Coaching -- An Essential Tool for Non Profit Success
By Christine Brown

Coaching focuses on the mission.
Coaching is values driven. Coaching sharpens executives' focus about what is important to them and how to achieve it. When there is clarity about personal values and the organization's values, and they are in alignment, supporting the mission becomes effortless.

Coaching builds capacity.
Coaching engages executives in "gap analysis.' Executives looks at the gap between where they are and where they want to be and develop strategies for bridging the gap and growing the organization. Coaching questions all assumptions, and asks "why not?" Coaching encourages executives to be intentional about desired outcomes.

Coaching ensures sustainability.
Coaching encourages executives and managers to create and implement structures and systems that will survive over the long term. A coach will ask the tough questions no one else is asking and make sure that both worst and best case scenarios are considered and planned for.

Coaching encourages change and supports the management of change.
Coaching can provide tools and techniques for anticipating and planning for change, as well as supporting its implementation.
Coaching helps managers manage change within the organizations as well as manage external political and funding realities.*

Coaching develops creativity.
Coaching encourages executives to look at situations from alternative perspectives. It provides a forum for idea generation with no encumbrances. Coaching encourages imaging the ideal.

Coaching is cost effective.
Coaching is the most cost effective form of management development and leadership training available to non profit organizations. Coaching provides customized, individual learning in real time as events are unfolding. It enables managers to test strategies in the work place and observe and adjust outcomes immediately.

Coaching is affordable.
Most organizations find the coaching fee quite manageable, especially when viewed as a percentage of an executive's salary. Although difficult to quantify, significant savings are achieved through increased executive and organizational effectiveness, better decision making, clearer focus, fewer false starts, and more thoughtful implementation.

Coaching is efficient.
Coaching doesn't take a lot of time. Often a half hour phone call once a week can have a huge impact on an executive's effectiveness. A coaching session is a highly focused conversation about specific goals and action steps.

Coaching builds management skills.
Coaching is critical to the development of team management skills which in turn is basic to the day to day running of their programs. A well coached manager naturally brings coaching related skills to work with his or her staff.*

Coaching delivers a high return on investment.
Investing in staff development and support is essential to the long term success of the organization. One of the largest budget items for any non profit organization is staff. And yet, few non profits make even minimal investments in staff support and development. Often the staff of non profits are providing services to those most in need with little or no thought given to the personal cost to these employees which results in low morale and high turnover.

Coaching reduces executive burn out.
Executive Director burn out costs non profits millions of dollars every year.
A study in the San Francisco area found that being an executive director is a one time event. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed were in their first executive director job. Only 20% indicated they would want their next job to be as an executive director.**
Coaching moves managers from always operating in crisis mode, to thinking and acting strategically. From reactive to proactive - they work smarter.*

Coaching promotes life balance.
Coaching looks at the whole person and seeks to reduce stressors in all areas of a person's life and promote self care. Executives who take care of themselves are better able to maintain their perspective, make wise decisions, and support staff or clients.
Coaching supports managers in taking better care of themselves, thereby increasing the quality of energy they bring to their work and organization and improving their lives.*

Sources

*Creating in Communities
The Story of the Community Development Corporation/Arts Resource Initiative
© 1999 Manchester Craftsmen's Guild
Funded by The Ford Foundation

**Leadership Lost:
A Study of Executive Director Tenure and Experience
© 1999 Compass Point Non Profit Services

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